What Christians Believe – Mere Christianity

What Christians Believe – Mere Christianity

Chapter I – The Rival Conceptions of God 

C.S. Lewis now turns to the second section of his theme: What Christians Believe.

The first concept he points out is that truth is exclusive, by default. Opposing truth claims cannot, both, be factual in the same sense. He’s going to participate in a kind of process of elimination regarding worldviews. The first he points out is pantheism. “Pan”, in Greek, means “all”; “theos” means “God or gods”. Consequently, pantheism is the belief that God and the universe are one; in other words, that God is in all. The Bible rejects this claim. As an analogy, a painter paints a portrait; he is not the portrait, or in the portrait. If the portrait is destroyed, the painter doesn’t necessarily die or cease to exist. Likewise, it is so with God. He is not in all of matter because He is the creator of all that which is seen and unseen. And He continues to exist even if matter is completely destroyed. 

The second worldview he addresses is atheism. An atheist may proclaim that the world is wrong and unjust. But where does he get this idea of just and unjust from. He accepts that there’s evil in the world. Yet, evil cannot exist without good; just like cancer cannot exist without a body and rust cannot exist without metal. The existence of good presupposes a moral law to differentiate between the two; and a moral law presupposes a moral law giver. There has to be a standard of justice in order to understand that something is unjust. Yet, the atheist rejects the moral standard by which he’s making. He’s cutting off the branch on which he is sitting. 

“A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust.” 

C.S. Lewis was formally an atheist. But he realized that his worldview betrayed him as he began to follow his claims and propositions through. And today, so called atheists would find their worldview wanting if they truly examined it for logical consistency. 

“Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning.” 

And this is yet another premise by which Lewis refutes atheism; the reality of God can be argued from a standard of meaning. Meaning presupposes a purpose bestowed on an individual by a higher authority. The so-called atheist simply borrows the concept of meaning and purpose from the Christian worldview. Although “meaning” is an abstract idea, we can definitely know its existence. 

Chapter II – The Invasion 

This second section is really fun and invigorating because Lewis approaches the idea of world views, as he did earlier, using the process of elimination. I think there is wisdom in this. For example, as a person pursues truth, sometimes it’s beneficial if he starts with what is NOT true. And Lewis argues that there are no simple answers when it comes to the nature of our world and universe; yet, we can know what is true. 

The first premise is that we have this innate, or intuitive, sense that there is good in this world but something has seriously gone wrong. He posits: 

“There are only two views that face all the facts. One is the Christian view that this is a good world that has gone wrong, but still retains the memory of what it ought to have been.” 

This is a good starting point because it compels a person to seek a deep longing that he has. What is this longing? It’s a longing that says, “In the midst of my suffering in this world, there has to be a Comforter who can comfort me in distress. I know there is good; I just don’t know where to find it.” Lewis refers to this struggle as “dualism”; the simple presence of good forces verses evil forces – hence, suffering. Lewis will refute dualism because it omits the cosmic, superintending intelligence. 

And many times, even a sinful person is seeking something to satisfy his soul; he is just settling for counterfeits: 

“[W]ickedness, when you examine it, turns out to be the pursuit of some good in the wrong way.” 

Jesus interacted with a woman who longed for love, acceptance, and affection; she was just looking in the wrong place. Jesus offered her living waters, of which if she drank, she would never thirst again. The woman responded that she wanted this water; she was thirsty, but not for natural water. She was thirsty for spiritual water. Jesus longed to give her of His life-giving Spirit and salvation, but He had to address her sin problem first. He told her to go and get her husband; she responded that she didn’t have a husband. Jesus confirmed her claim that she didn’t have a husband, for she had had five husbands and the man she was currently with was not her husband. After He shared, regarding who He is, she trusted in Him as messiah – the anointed one. She not only received newness of life through Christ, but she was the first person to receive a clear and straightforward claim from Jesus that He is the Messiah – the long-awaited Savior of Jew and Gentile. 

“[B]adness is only spoiled goodness. And there must be something good first before it can be spoiled. We called sadism a sexual perversion; but you must first have the idea of a normal sexuality before you can talk of its being perverted; and you can see which is the perversion, because you can explain the perverted from the normal, and cannot explain the normal from the perverted.” 

And, 

“In order to be bad he must have good things to want and then to pursue in the wrong way: he must have impulses which were originally good in order to be able to pervert them.” 

This woman was seeking good in the wrong way. What good things are you pursuing the wrong way? If it’s found outside of the Lord God, it will never satisfy you. 

C.S. Lewis dispels dualism because it is not complete. It rightly identifies the forces of good and evil; but it does not recognize that there is someone who superintends over all the spiritual battles in our world and universe. It’s important to know that God sits on His throne and He is superintending, sovereignly ruling, and is in complete control of all the happenings and situations in our world. It is also imperative to recognize that Satan is not God’s equal rival; he is a created being. His opposing equal would be the angel Michael or Gabriel. God has allowed Satan to have some power because of Adam’s transgression in the Garden; yet, nothing will step outside of His sovereign rule. And there will come a time when sin and death will be completely eradicated; and Satan will be cast into hell and the lake of fire forever. Everyone who follows Satan will also be cast into hell and the lake of fire. 

“Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel.” 

And, 

“Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going. He does it by playing on our conceit and laziness and intellectual snobbery.” 

Chapter III – The Shocking Alternative 

Lewis continues to unpack this theme of the One who is superintending. In other words, if God is in control of the whole universe – and He is, then why all the evil and suffering in the world? Now, I understand this question emotionally but, philosophically, it does not have logical consistency. I am not a determinist; a determinist does not believe that a person has a free will. Unfortunately, there are parts of the Christian church that hold to this unbiblical idea. Just because someone is in authority – in this case, God – does not mean that everyone within His jurisdiction, who is operating with free will, will accomplish everything in perfect accordance with the will of the lord, master, ruler, or dominus. Nevertheless, He is still sovereignly ruling the whole universe and human history. 

But this should not be difficult to understand. If you are a husband and father, you are commissioned by God to lead your household with order. Does this mean that your wife will always yield to your leadership? Or that your children will always obey your commands? No, it doesn’t. 

“That is not what you willed, but your will has made it possible.” 

Nevertheless, a husband and father who is governing his household with grace, truth, and love can still have his house in order. How much more God? He’s all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-wise. And He is holy; He does not have to deal with sin and death in His sovereign rule. Yet, even though His subjects, or His children, do not accomplish His will perfectly He is still able to rule and accomplish His purpose. 

The second important component is the area of love. For a determinist, I would ask, “How can a person love another individual if it has been determined whom he will love.” In other words, in order to love, a person must have free will; because if it is determined for him to love, or it’s been superimposed, this is not love. Love involves a choice. 

Now back to the original question: If God is in control of the whole universe – and He is, then why all the evil and suffering in the world? Answer: 

“[F]ree will is what has made evil possible.” 

In other words, if a person has free will, he must be able to act in free agency and choose good or evil. But even though many have chosen evil in our society and world, God is still sovereignly ruling the heavens and the earth. 
 

“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (emphasis mine) 

Love involves a choice. By the way, when your children of your household grow, they must choose for themselves whether they will love and serve the LORD. You are not God; you cannot make that decision for them. God does not have grandchildren, only children. You must teach and train them in the ways of the LORD but they must choose. 

God knew that Adam would transgress the command, but “apparently He thought it worth the risk.” Most parents are not accused of any particular fault for having children; yet, there is a risk when they have children. Will the child love his father or his mother? This is a risk a father and a mother are willing to take. 

But someone may object to God’s risk. Yet our reasoning, itself, comes from our Creator. Consequently, a person cannot be right and God wrong when He has demonstrated that the risk was worth it. 

“When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.” 

The individuals who are bent on thinking that the risk for creating mankind was incorrect are ultimately succumbing to the first temptation, the temptation that “they could be gods.” 

“That was the sin of Satan: and that was the sin he taught the human race.” 

Man, ever since, has aimed to find his happiness outside of God. “And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history – money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery – the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” 

As gas for the car and food for the body, so God has created us in a way that He is our fuel, if you will. 

“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” 

This is where the redemption story comes in. Our humanistic ideas or deeds can never restore our fallen state. And the real shock comes when a Jewish carpenter enters the scene of human history and claims to forgive sins, claims that He’s always existed, claims that He is coming to judge the world at the end of the time. “And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips.” And He doesn’t give the option of “good, moral teacher” as who He is; there are only three logical choices: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord. 

“[L]et us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 

When we cause offense, it is usually to another person; then that person extends forgiveness. But Jesus forgave sins and did not consult the people that you and I have offended because ultimately, when we sin, we sin against God. Jesus claimed to be God by forgiving sins. 

Chapter IV – The Perfect Penitent 

And this free will should compel a person to return to his Creator. 

“God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form.” 

And since He has landed on this enemy-occupied world, He has also conveyed to His creation that He is also the Deliverer of those held hostage by the enemy of our souls. 

Some people claim that they cannot accept a God, or a Christ, in which they cannot understanding every minutia of details regarding Him. I reject and refute this claim for at least two reasons. First of all, if a person could understand everything about God, he’s got the wrong God. And there would be no point in worshipping a god that he completely understood. Secondly, the majority of the population could not take apart our computers, explain how they work, and put them back together. And, yet, we use these technologies in spite of not understanding every detail of them. 

One of the best ways to understand redemption is perceiving a debt a person could never repay.

“[I]f you think of a debt, there is plenty of point in a person who has some assets paying it on behalf of someone who has not.” 

And, 

“[F]allen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms.” 

Repentance is “simply a description of what going back to Him is like.” Many people reject the help of God in this process of having newness of life. But,  

“To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself?” 

Chapter V – The Practical Conclusion 

C.S. Lewis concludes this section by claiming that God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because God loves us. And the newness of life the Christ-follower has is only reflected on who God is, and not the man within himself. 

“[J]ust as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.” 

This holds true for being in right standing with God. We cannot be good within ourselves because this requires perfection; yet, the Lord’s goodness is able to shine through the Christ-follower because he has had his sins forgiven. 

God, by the Holy Spirit, is actively working in the life of the Christ-follower. The non-Christian cannot experience this until he has repented of his sin and placed his trust in the Lord Jesus. 

  The question arises: Why did the rightful king invade in disguise, instead of conquering? Answer: He wanted, and wants, for a person to join His kingdom freely. And, by the way, He will return a second time; and at His second coming He will defeat the forces of wickedness and establish His earthly kingdom for His millennial reign.